Arlindo Circulation

The Arlindo Circulation field work includes:
time series measurement at current meter moorings with ADCP and
Aanderaa RCM-8 current meters and temperature pod (T-Pods); CTD/CFC
tracer oceanographic stations. CTD and CFC stations were obtained
at the mooring sites (yo-yo repeat stations) and along an east-west
Flores - Banda Sea section to augment spatially and temporally,
the 1993/94 Arlindo Mixing coverage. The research will be carried
out by A. Gordon D. Pillsbury, A. Ffield, R. Fine.

Arlindo circulation has two other components.
These are bottom-moored Inverted Echo Sounder with pressure sensors
(PIES); and shallow pressure gauges. The PIES research is supervised
by S. Garzoli; the shallow pressure gauge research by N. Bray
. The PIES provides a time series the mean temperature and pressure
of the water column, monitoring changes in thermocline depth and
variations in the along pressure gradient in the Makassar Strait.
An array of seven shallow (about 10 meters depth) gauges will
be deployed in October or November 1995 to monitor fluctuations
in the sea level slope in the Lombok Strait, Timor Strait, Ombai
Strait (between Alor and Timor), and spanning the strait between
Sumba and Sumbawa.

A 13 to 14 month deployment will not span an
entire ENSO period. The data set will no doubt represent a specific
phase of ENSO. The CTD coverage from Arlindo Mixing and Arlindo
Circulation will allow comparison of stratification for a nearly
a four year period, normally enough to have good chance of spanning
an entire cycle, though the prolonged El Nino since 1991 has not
been typical. However, Arlindo circulation will provide a base
for long term monitoring, which will eventually capture the ENSO
phases. Both shallow gauges and PIES if calibrated properly again
transport measures of Arlindo, may prove effective means of long
term monitoring (Phase III objective of Arlindo).